Medrol Pak Withdrawal Symptoms 3 Weeks Later? (Page 3)

Hello. I was prescribed a Medrol pak (6 days 4mg) for a sinus infection. I felt great while taking it. Finished up on 8/12. Couple days later started getting awful hot flashes Few days later jittery in the mornings and loads of anxiety. Then started having trouble sleeping...tossed and turned all night with waves of hot flashes. I'm 6 months postpartum and nursing a baby. Do you think these symptoms are withdrawal from the Medrol? It's right at 3 weeks now. I've had sweaty hands, jitters, racing heart. When will it end? What will help it?

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RacerD. Did you talk to your dr about taking calcium/magnesium supplements to help with your heart palps? It is very possible that the steroids kicked your (and mine) menopause symptoms into high gear, which can affect magnesium (and potassium) Perimenopause will also cause racing heart/heart palps. I will be discussing this with my Cardiologists on Friday when I get my test results. Your lack of estrogen can also be the cause of your heart palps. I am considering making an appt with my obgyn before my yearly check-up. I just know that the symptoms I have left are also symptoms of perimenopause. (Racing heart/heart palps, night sweats, insomnia, lightheadless, muscle weakness...)
Keep me updated... I'll let you know what I find out.

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I know it's all tied in somehow. It's making me nuts. I do take 1200 Calcium a day and have been putting magnesium lotion on at night. Haven't noticed any help from it. My OB would like to put me on HRT but I'm nursing and don't want to give it up so that's not going to work. She is worried about my weight loss and thinks I'm getting malnourished. I am eating but have to make myself sometimes thanks to the nausea. I'm hoping the Lexapro will start to make a difference soon. They do give anti-depressants to menopausal women. I think this steroid just messed up my hormones bad and collided with some postpartum anxiety. Bad combination for sure. I see the cardiologist next Friday. Let me know how your apps go.

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Just know, if you are doing a nuclear stress test, you won't be able to nurse for a day or two... just ask then when it's safe. It depends on the isotope they use. I had to be away from newborn babies and pregnant women for a day, and it was in my system for 36 hours. I didn't even get close to my dog during those 36 hours. Good luck on Friday.

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If you are having a nuclear stress test, be sure to check if you nurse your baby. In my case, the nuclear isotope was in my system for 36 hours.
Good luck on your tests.

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Thanks. Will definitely check on that. I'm not ready to give up nursing despite whatever is going on. Just super frustrated. I felt like crap yesterday and today and still not sure this Lexapro is the answer but feel I need to give it a couple more weeks to know if it's doing anything. The anxiety and nausea is the worst. The heart palps and hot flashes seem better lately.

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I've been take the 6 day dose pack on and off for over 10 yrs. Usually take 2-3 times per yr for inflammation. I have never had adverse side effects or withdrawal symptoms. I do however have some sleep issues only when taking for the 6 days. Usually I can take an over the counter sleep add.

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RacerD. I got my results back for my thyroid... everything is in normal range. Dr. Doesn't think that's the cause of my heart palps/heart rate. Now to get the results from the cardio on Friday ... I'm a bit worried.

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Ugh. I hate that you have no answers too. It's like you wish they would find something to explain it all away. I don't even feel like going to see the cardiologist on Friday. I don't think it will show anything. I think it's all anxiety and hormones and the Medrol started it.

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I would still go. Atleast you will have the piece of mind knowing that there is nothing wrong with your heart... that it's "just" the MEDROL. (Frustrating!!)

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RacerD. Saw my cardiologist this morning... all tests and blood work is normal; heart is strong and normal. Need to go back in 6 months. I've noticed the neck pain coming back (the reason I was given the pack), and that's when I noticed my heart rate and palps getting more normal. I am also sleeping a bit more, now. Unfortunately, I have now developed food sensitivities that I've never had before. Any allergan makes my tongue, lips and throat tingle; I am to take Benedryl for those as needed. And, I was prescribed an EpiPen. :( I hope those go away once these side effects completely go away. As if eating wasn't hard enough, now I need to watch WHAT I eat.
I hope everything went well with your tests this morning.

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RacerD. I hope your tests came out alright. I am still dealing with bouts of insomnia, high resting heart rate and racing heart with minimal activity. It's been 5 weeks now for me, and I've lost 18 lbs! :O I'm going to make an appointment with an Endo to, atleast, check my adrenalin levels. That would explain my side effects. On top of everything else, I am now having moments of uncontrollable crying throughout the day. No wonder I am becoming depressed.

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RacerD. I hope all your cardiology test results came back good. I now have answers to all my symptoms.... the MEDROL threw me into full blown Menopause. I am suffering from pretty much EVERY side effect, including menopause induced food allergies. I was in perimenopause for only 6 or so months. I have an appt with my OB Jan 3rd. They are working on me seeing someone before then to start me on HRT. I wasn't fond of HRT, but my quality of life sucks now, since I didn't have the chance to ease into it naturally.
I am hoping I will get some normalcy back...
I'm wishing good luck on your quest, and I will come back to update.

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Hi. How did you come to the conclusion that the Medrol pak through you into full blown menopause? My OB did more hormone testing on me and said I am not in menopause yet but it's hard to know since I'm breastfeeding. I suspect the Medrol pak caused a major hormonal shift as well. I haven't done the cardio testing yet and not sure when I will. I haven't done the thyroid biopsy yet either. I hear they are painful and most people have nodules anyway. So I may just skip all that...I'm tired of medical stuff. The Lexapro does seem to be helping me. I would probably be on HRT if it wasn't for me nursing. The anti-depressants are useful for menopause symptoms too apparently. You might ask your OB about the pros/cons between HRT and taking something like a low dose Lexapro. It has definitely improved my symptoms, mood, etc. I'm taking 10mg. Let me know how you are doing. {edited for privacy}m

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I was in perimenopause for less than a year. Last year at my OB, my hormones were still in normal range, and I was still getting periods before I started the pack. This last test had me in full Menopause. The Dr. couldn't be 100% positive, but it is unusual to go from a semi-regular periods to full Meno in three months.... with the severity of my Meno side effects. I only had mild hot flashes (maybe 2-3 per day, 1 overnight) and mild dizziness that went away after a few seconds; AND still sleeping thru the night. Now, If a side effect is listed, I pretty much have it.... in extreme. The heart palps and increased heart rate are the worst. Sleep and less stress and anxiety will hopefully help with the heart palps.
I see the nurse practitioner on Friday, since I didn't want to wait until January to see the DR. We will discuss HRT's. These have been the worst 6 weeks of my life. I want to be normal again.

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I didn't want to take an anti-depressant since my problem is hormones. I believe once my hormones are back in track, that the rest will be as well. Estrogen and progesterone are such important hormones, regulating everything from mood, stress and anxiety to heart palps. I hope that everything will get regulated quick, with minimal side effects, including my fast heart rate.
I will keep you updated.

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How did your appointment go Friday? Hope well and you have a new course of action. It if wasn't for me nursing I would do the HRT but I did go so a shrink Friday and she said the Medrol pak propelled my postpartum anxiety onto the fast track. It was already brewing but slowly and the steroid blew it up. So yay. I guess I'm on the right med to get this under control but it's taking forever. Sucks.

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My appt on Friday went ok. Had to see a different dr. since the nurse practitioner had a death in the family... boy, she was awful!! She prescribed an HRT dose much to high!! Plus, I had a mild alergic reaction to the Estradiol. I've talked to the nurse practitioner, and she will prescribe something much lower. I did take the estradiol for two days, (I cut the pills in half) and noticed a difference, so I'm hoping the prempro will help. I will start that early next week. I'm tired of the heart issues, nausea, sleep problems, and (thankfully, only mild) food allergies. Thanksgiving will be tough this year. :(
Have a good Thanksgiving... updates to follow.

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Well... no HRT worked for me. The Prempro had terrible side effects, and I quit taking them after one pill; gave me terrible heart palps on the lowest dose. My heart rate is finally getting better, and so are my palps on their own. And, I'm now getting between 5 - 7 hours of sleep at night. My hot flashes are getting less frequent as well. I really wanted to take the hormones to help with these menopausel food allergies. Since everything else is getting better, I'm hoping (praying) the allergies will also. These have been the worst 2 months, and I am powering through to get back to my normal routine.
I'm still getting bouts of nausea and lightheadedness. I sure hope that will get better as well.
I'm hoping that things are getting more back to normal for you as well... I'll update on my progress. So hard to believe that a few pills can change a person's life completely. :(

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RacerD, how are things now? I have pretty much no symptoms of the Menopause to speak of, but I am still dealing with the occasional chest pain, a few bouts of nausea, and the food allergies. (I've gone to the ER several times, and they can find no cause for the chest pains). I am seriously thinking I am still going through withdrawels, and possible some adrenal fatigue. I will be seeing an endo at the end of the month. What really surprises me is that my blood pressure is lower than normal (??), which is probably responsible for my bouts of lightheadedness.
I still have bad days.. but happy that I have more good (ish). I am really sick of this, and just want to feel normal again!

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I'm still having issues too but much better than I was 2 months ago. I finally saw a psych for my postpartum anxiety and she confirmed that the steroid put everything into high speed. I was probably already having anxiety but it was slowly building. The Medrol accelerated it all big time. I'm still taking the Lexapro and it does seem to really be helping. I'm not happy that I'm on it and wondering when I can get off. I'm glad you are having some good days. I have an echo on the 20th to make sure my heart is ok because these heart palps and PVCs continue. At least that will give me some piece of mind. I will never take a steroid again unless it's some life or death thing I swear. It has totally messed me up. I'm finally sleeping better and do not need any sleep aids thankfully and no more Ativan. What a mess!!

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